Study IN DEPTH, APPLY in the real workd, in CREATIVE ways, following student INTEREST
TED Talk: The power of combining disciplines - art, science, music - to make sense of the world.
The MET School... a BIG Picture school
located in Providence, RI
urban, failing district
charter/magnet school
one teacher, no more than 14 students who form a cohort that stays together for all 4 years
students are gang members, etc.
socil learning and mentoring helps them be successful in school
Denver School of the Arts
another failing urban school system
curriculum is taught through a framework of the arts (fractions taught through half notes, etc)
the arts forms the unified theme and context in which learning occurs
Math Visualization and Application
The content is ancient - literally. Geometry is taught as it was when Euclid "discovered" it.
Pencil and paper required 2-D geometry, but the possibilities for 3-D geometry are abundant now.
Google Sketchup
GeoGebra
POV-Ray
STEM applications
Science Simulations
PHeT
Molecular Workbench
Phun
NetLogo Science Simulations
English
Publishing for authentic audience
Social Learning
Cmap tools - collaborative document system
Elluminate - remote presentations
Another Project?!?!?
Presenter: Heather Ryder, CFF Coach at Midd-West School District
Sometimes students groan when you introduce the next project, "Oh no, another project?!?!"
A good project: focuses on HOTS, is differentiated, provides for student choice, has a well-written rubric
A well-developed project allows a teacher to enjoy:
students' growth, their engagement, their enthusiasm, their strengths
PSU One to One Computing Conference
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Keynote Speaker - Bernajean Porter
Breakout One - Critical Conversations with Bernajean Porter
"Innovation and Accountability: Complimentary or Contradictory?"
Bernajean Porter, Holly Jobe (CFF program director), and moderated by Anytime, Anywhere Learning Foundation (AALF)
Bernajean opening comments - technology magnifies what works in schools and what needs to work better. Accountability is something we should have defined ourselves before the gov't smacked it down from above. All local stakeholders (mayor, school board, etc) should have taken a role in describing where we want to go. Data needs to help inform our progress and decision making. Accountability and data are positive if they are used to inform our decisions about where to go and how to get there. Accountability and Innovation can be very complimentary if the accountability is used to direct the innovations.
Participant comments -
Accountability = assessment. Formative assessment helps to inform the process.
Innovation is transformative - we don't know where we're going or how to get there. Difficult to define; hard to say exactly what it looks like in the district/classroom. CFF program has been a tool to help embed PD and begin those conversations about innovation. It has helped create the culture for innovation. Need to have cultural change before innovation is possible.
Principal - how can I maintain accountability while managing innovation? Can't take a year off from preparing for the PSSA while we learn how to innovate. Many teachers are fearful of diverting attention from test prep.
Bernajean's response - good thinkers make better test-takers. What are alternate indicators we can use besides state tests? Of course state tests are important, but we need other data sets - student's work, creativity, etc.
Principal - collaboration time for teachers to discuss 21st century teaching and learning, share what is going on in the classrooms. Think it went well, but need to see how it filtered down to students - what impact does it have on student achievement? Teachers are concerned about the fact that the test doesn't measure 21st century skills.
Teacher - We are using these new amazing tools and skills to do old things. Are we giving up our teaching passion for resignation re: standardized tests?
Principal - I don't care if they meet the baselines on the state tests; want to engage all students, see growth in all students. More concerned about drop out rate, engagement, interest, etc.
Teacher - the truest measure of accountability is: are our students good people at the end? Is society moving forward and progressing? How do we track our progress in that direction?
Bernajean's response - we need to be inventing the solution as we go. We need to redefine the measurement tools, but not throw away the concept of accountability.
Innovation vs. transformation - we're not at the innovation phase yet, but we need to be in transformation phase. Are we trying to fit the new tools into the present structure, or are we transforming the curriculum/classroom/schedule/structure to fit the new tools? The legislators don't have a picture of the new vision of education, so they don't want to change. Therefore, the assessments are tied to the "old way".
We are operating in a vacuum of keeping the public informed about what we are doing in our schools. Our communication with stakeholders is extremely limited. Technology can be used to help communicate with the public/parents/community members/politicians about what we're doing and how we're changing, and can get across the vision of the "new way".
Breakout Two - Developing Teaching Style in One to One Environments
Led by Beth Rajan Sockman of East Stroudsburg University
Read: Oversold and Underused - a pessimistic view of technology and tech integration
Also read books by Sandholtz (Teaching with Technology: Creating Student Centered Classrooms)
Research says that students have greater achievement in student-centered classrooms than in teacher-centered ones
The Journey of Teaching Style Development:
Stage One - Entry
Training, getting comfortable with the computer. Building confidence
Stage Two - Adoption
Stage Three - Adaptation
Stage Four - Appropriation
Interdisciplinary, interdependent groups, more student-centered, may over-compensate
Stage Five - Invention
Students and teacher work together to learn together, students may challenge teacher, project-based, team teaching,
External forces influence a teacher's perception of classroom needs - societal changes influence what happens in the classroom.
Fear is not the best motivator - teachers should be making changes because they believe in them, not because they are afraid of the consequences if they don't
Small trials reinforce beliefs about teaching and learning.
Taking small steps leads to bigger steps.
Student observations and structural constraints modify the instruction
Teachers become more aware of what is happening in the classroom and look for alternate data about what students are achieving.
Move towards project-based approaches
Doesn’t happen overnight. Training sessions, small steps, find others who can work with you in planning and implementing projects.
Overcome hurdles for project implementation
New way of thinking about education/curriculum/instruction/classroom organization, etc.
Tests and standards – projects need to address these, not overlook them.
Teachers need support to move forward and become “Tech Courageous”
If you want to move teachers past Appropriation, you need to create a different kind of culture in the school. They need an environment that allows them to make mistakes.
TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION
Innovators (2% of pop)
Early Adopters (13.5% of pop) look to innovators for advice
Early Majority (34% of pop) look to early adopters
Late Majority (34%) need a push from administrators "you have to do this"
Afternoon Keynote – Beyond Computers: Creating Systemic Change for 21st Century Learning
Led by: Paul Curtis of the New Technology Foundation
21st Century Skills – we need to make changes at the school level to save our own economy. Adaptability and change will be required of our students in the new global marketplace, and we need to be preparing them with these skills.
Top 5 New-Hire Skills that employers are looking for:
Communication Skills
Honesty/Integrity
Teamwork
Interpersonal Skills
Work Ethic
Partnership for 21st Century Skills – groups the skills into 3 categories
Learning and Innovation: creativity, problem solving, communication and collaboration
Information Technology: information literacy, media literacy
Life and Career: flexibility, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, social skills, leadership
20th Century instruction and assessment does not teach or measure these 21st Century skills
Business owners are increasingly telling educators that industrial-age schools are not preparing students for the post-industrial-age workplace.
New Technology High School model:
Based on Trust, Respect, Responsibility
No hall passes or tardy bells
Culture of respect and responsibility
Organized into small learning communities
Allows teachers to collaborate more and know all of the students in their "wing" (no passes because everyone knows where everyone else is supposed to be)
The NEW 3 Rs - Relationships, Relevance, Rigor
All courses are based around projects (project-based learning, or PBL)
Unit long projects - not tacked on at the end of the unit to demonstrate skills, but designed as investigations where students learn the skills as they work on the project
PBL projects have an embedded "need to know" component
Students need to learn the skills and content in order to be able to complete the project
Public component
Finished projects should be shared or published or critiqued by a larger audience
put on a website, shared with students in another class, critiqued by professionals in their fields (have engineers - or engineering majors - review build-a-bridge projects, for example)
Teacher becomes coach/facilitator/guide
Traditional: teacher is the enemy/obstacle to success
PBL: project is the obstacle, teacher is the coach who helps students defeat the enemy
"You're going to display/publish/etc this work and I want to make sure you look good doing it, not foolish!"
Neat way of redefining the student-teacher relationship!
Breakout Three - Technology is Ubiquitous: What does curriculum look like in a 1:1 classroom?
Led by: Marcie Hull and Zach Chase, teachers at the Science Leadership Academy in Phila
SLA Core Values:
Inquiry
Research
Collaboration
Presentation
Reflection
Each assignment should tie into, and refer back to, these values.
If the technology tools are ubiquitous (everywhere), the teacher's role as guide and facilitator becomes very important in creating the direction and ensuring students are heading there.
Reading recommendations: Positive Words, Powerful Results by Hal Urban and Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers by Chap Clark
Idea: Students blog every other week as they complete a 9-week project. They reflect on their progress with the project, what they have learned so far, how the project is going. Many students received comments back from people around the world, which informed their work and motivated them to complete the project and share their findings.
The project - Social Action, or "Change the World in 9 Weeks" (see description on website)
Key idea for change: OFFER CHOICES in the classroom. Choice of content, choice of presentation tool, choice of assessment, etc.
How do you get to this? Start small - one little change starts the process. Offer students one choice in one assignment, then grow and branch out from there.
Breakout Four: What Does a 1:1 Classroom Look Like?
Led by Brent Frey of Apple, Inc.
Video stories of 1 to 1 classrooms around the country.
Cranberry Island in Maine. Year-round population = 75. One room school house. Teacher has 5-8th graders. Uses the technology to differentiate the content and process. Uses Noteshare. Students love that you can integrate everyone's work into one finished product, seamlessly. Students post podcasts, share and communicate with their classmates.
Boston urban public school. Major impact on student engagement, motivation, self-direction, sense of ownership, etc. Students do not take their laptops home, but the city has programs to ensure there is a computer in every student's home (through donations, reduced rate equipment, etc) and the entire city has Internet access.
Kutztown Area High School. Went "true" one to one in Fall 2004. Created a level playing field, gives students the opportunity to explore, create, investigate, and present learning in the ways that best suit and interest them. More engaging curriculum and content. Teachers have many training days are assigned technology mentors. Also have a lot of built-in collaboration time. Initial 2-day Apple-delivered training for teachers. Students create electronic portfolios as part of Senior Project, then use them when applying to college.
Greene County High School. Agricultural community. Computers and broadband Internet access have given students an opportunity to be competitive with their more-connected urban and suburban peers. Helped to bring their school - and community - from the agricultural age straight into the information age (skipped right over the industrial age!).
Breakout Five - Seven Deadly Assumptions
Led by Heather Ryder, CFF Coach at Midd West School District (Middleburg, PA, 1 hour north of Harrisburg)
1. A one to one classroom produces a more engaging environment.
requires teacher training
problem of off-task engagement
old activities using new technology are NOT more engaging once the shine wears off the new equipment
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO CHANGE THEIR METHODS OF TEACHING TO HOLD STUDENTS INTERESTS, NOT JUST TEACH THE OLD WAY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY
2. Technology will increase student scores
technology doesn’t improve scores, content mastery does
technology is one tool to raise scores, but not the end-all, be-all
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR ASSESSMENT METHODS
3. Computers take learning to a higher level
some teachers allow less work (like copying and pasting) rather than more
more fluff – animations, sound effects, etc
do all teachers understand what a “higher level” means?
COUNTERPOINT:TEACHERS NEED TO DIRECT THE LEARNING TO A HIGHER LEVEL – ASK HIGHER ORDER QUESTIONS, GUIDE THOUGHTS (DON’T GIVE ANSWERS)
4. Discipline problems decrease with computers in the classroom.
depends on your classroom management
sometimes “not disruptive” means off-task
it can be a lot to juggle if you’re a new teacher still learning classroom management COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO CREATE NEW – OR ADAPT OLD – CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (check-in procedures, conferencing, etc)
5. Technology skills enhance a teacher’s ability to teach,
those who believe this either have no technology skills or believe they have ALL the skills
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR TEACHING PRACTICES AND ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
6. Blogs and Wikis are the answer.
not enjoyable for students once the shine wears off
need to be used “well”
start with the end in mind – what do you want the students to learn and what is the best way to demonstrate that learning
allow for responses and a broader audience – so can be a great tool
21st century education is a whole different skill set for teachers than the traditional way of teaching – may not work for some teachers
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE AND THE DESIRED OUTCOME OF EVERY LESSON BEFORE DETERMINING WHAT TECHNOLOGY TO USE.
7. One to one classrooms will change education. COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO DEVELOP HONESTY IN THEIR SELF-PERCEPTION AND SELF-EVALUATION IN ORDER TO CHANGE EDUCATION.
Technology – is it THE answer? NO!! It’s a tool to get there.
What assumptions have you made about technology? Are they correct?
Wednesday, April 30th
Breakout One - Social networking:
Led by: Marcie Hull and Zach Chase, teachers at the Science Leadership Academy in Phila
Concerns from audience re: social networking in schools:
not all students have access at home, how do you manage what is posted, school filters, child internet protection laws, parental concerns, lack of understanding about how to apply it in the classroom
Language Arts project: Students read Their Eyes Were Watching God. Interviewed someone who they felt had made a sacrifice, then wrote a 2-page "traditional" paper about the sacrifice, and made a podcast that compared the sacrifice in the story to the sacrifice of the person they had interviewed.
Another project: News story re: the deputy mayor who proposed a resolution to ban sagging pants in Dallas. Students wanted to know more about the story than they found in the "strange news" section of the paper. Used SKYPE to call the deputy mayor of the town and the class discussed his resolution with him. Recorded it and used the recording for further class discussion.
Polleverywhere.com - embed the poll on a wiki and then students can text (or use internet) their votes and it shows up on the graph in real time. Similar to an Activote clicker. Has settings for voting once or more than once. Teacher can see each person's individual vote.
Chat - Moodle, IM, etc. An open "back channel" chat going on while the teacher is presenting. Can archive the chat so that students can go back to it and teacher can see who contributed what.
RIGOR - if you use these tools to get students to think critically, the rigor is built-in. No need to justify the use if it promotes higher order thinking!
Breakout Two - Incorporating Technology in the Language Arts Classroom
Led by: Alison Kocis, Kutztown Area School District
Allows students to self-select books in order to increase motivation to read and really engage with the literature
Students who select the same book work together to make meaning out of the content
How can we bridge their out-of-school computer literacy with their in-school academic literacy?
Planned project in pairs. Worked with librarian to identify school interests and select novels that met those interest areas. Selected a wide range of literature and the librarian gave book talks to present each selection. Partners agreed on a book to read together. Viewed examples of Book Trailers online - books made into movies (Narnia, etc), then student-made trailers (available on Amazon), then professional book trailers (Vid Lit). Students were then introduced to the project specs: students must produce, direct, and act in a book trailer for the novel they read.
Read the book
Identify key scenes, themes, characters, tone, etc. to highlight in the trailer
Write script and storyboard scenes
Freeplay music for soundtrack
Film scenes
BBC Motion Gallery and Stock Footage for scene clips (subway scene, etc)
Edit footage together into trailer
Add titles, credits, transitions, effects
Follow up survey on Quia - did you read the whole book? do you usually read the whole book of assigned readings? did you re-read parts as you worked on the trailer? did you gain a better understanding of the book through working on the trailer? open-ended: did you prefer this activity to the traditional book report/book talk? why or why not?
Good way to involve film teacher, musical director, etc in the class - bring them in as guest speakers once students move from the planning to the filming/editing phase.
Time length - felt it was time consuming, but well worth the time. Only half the standard presentation time because they worked in pairs (half as many projects to present).
2 days in library to intro the books, 3 weeks to read out of class, 6 days of class time to film and edit (40 minute periods).
Considering doing it with just one scene of a required book - visualize the setting, characters, tone, mood, etc.
Student engagement, enjoyment, motivation, making deeper meaning of content, critical analysis of content -- all showed marked increase with this project.
Science Collaboration Day - Warwick School District
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Registration table - sign in and get name tag
Drop stuff in auditorium then head to library for refreshments and informal icebreaker
Return to auditorium for intro speeches (someone, then Jeff R.)
Jim Gates' Keynote presentation
"What are YOU doing to change your teaching?"
Breakout sessions - led by teachers and coaches (more teachers than coaches)
Breakout One - Quia
Led by: Steve McTaggert, CFF Coach @ Solanco SD
@ Solanco - in the dept budget, 5 teacher licenses (so few because of limited access to computers - less of an issue now with CFF equipment. expect to have more teachers using it next year).
Create tests, make interactive games.
Super easy interface - don't have to be a "techie" to be able to use it
Students don't study - this is more like games than work, so the students enjoy it and use it often - even at home!!
Self-scoring quizzes - teacher scores open-ended.
Very customizable! Randomize multiple choice answers, randomize questions, all questions at once or only one at a time, several question types, type and timing of student feedback.
With an account, you can "take" and customize any shared activities that are already created
Coach Tech Demonstration - Blogs
Led by: Jim gates, CFF coach and tech guru
Notes & links available @ gatesworkshop.wikispaces.com/blogs
Resistance to blogs - fear of students will say if you allow them to write on the web
www.classblogmeister.com - nothing is live (postings and comments) until the teacher approves it
Can embed podcasts, slideshares, videos, etc.
Possible uses - each day, assign a student to be class scribe for the day. They take notes on the day's lesson/activities right on the blog. Really "good" students might multi task by opening new browser tabs to look up graphics or links to embed in their notes.
Breakout Two - Open Collaboration Time
"Feel free to visit the library for collaboration time with other teachers"
Coach Tech Demonstration - Google Docs & Apps
Led by: Laurie Vitale, CFF Coach
Word docs, spreadsheets, etc that are available on the web so anyone with internet access can get to them.
Solves problems re: access and backing up (storage)
Also allows for collaboration - Collaboration Day agenda was created as a Google Doc with 52 contributors
Allows for 10 active collaborators at a time
Spreadsheets - allows for 50 active collaborators
Can export to Word or as a PDF, in addition to saving online
Have option to remove all collaborators (if you're the doc creator) so that no one else can make changes
Need an email account to be a collaborator
Google Forms - what we used to register for collaboration day
Google automatically dumps that info into a spreadsheet
Google Presentations - one drawback: trapped on the Internet. Can only export as text or PDF, not as PPT
Works similar to PPT, with a bit less fanciness
Breakout Three - Interactive Boards and Biology
Led by: Aly Tapp and Michelle Krill, CFF Coaches
Explore! - you need to get to the point where you are planning lessons with the new technology capabilities in mind
Why use an electronic board?
Mark it up, take snapshots of it, save it, send it. Plus: zoom, shield, spotlight, etc.
Consider adding keywords to any search for activities like, “mitosis + interactive” or + “whiteboard” or + “polyvision” or even + “smartboard”
PSU One to One Computing Conference
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009Increasing Higher-Level Task Engagement with Laptops
Presenter: Scott Garrigan, Educational Consultant
Website: http://mentalarcade.com
"If you don't understand a thing in more than one way, you don't understand it at all."
HOTS
visualization
application
initiative/passion
cross-domain connections
creativity/innovation
Study IN DEPTH, APPLY in the real workd, in CREATIVE ways, following student INTEREST
TED Talk: The power of combining disciplines - art, science, music - to make sense of the world.
The MET School... a BIG Picture school
- located in Providence, RI
- urban, failing district
- charter/magnet school
- one teacher, no more than 14 students who form a cohort that stays together for all 4 years
- students are gang members, etc.
- socil learning and mentoring helps them be successful in school
Denver School of the ArtsMath Visualization and Application
The content is ancient - literally. Geometry is taught as it was when Euclid "discovered" it.
Pencil and paper required 2-D geometry, but the possibilities for 3-D geometry are abundant now.
Science Simulations
English
Social Learning
Another Project?!?!?
Presenter: Heather Ryder, CFF Coach at Midd-West School District
Sometimes students groan when you introduce the next project, "Oh no, another project?!?!"
A good project: focuses on HOTS, is differentiated, provides for student choice, has a well-written rubric
A well-developed project allows a teacher to enjoy:
students' growth, their engagement, their enthusiasm, their strengths
PSU One to One Computing Conference
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008Keynote Speaker - Bernajean Porter
Breakout One - Critical Conversations with Bernajean Porter
"Innovation and Accountability: Complimentary or Contradictory?"
Bernajean Porter, Holly Jobe (CFF program director), and moderated by Anytime, Anywhere Learning Foundation (AALF)
Bernajean opening comments - technology magnifies what works in schools and what needs to work better. Accountability is something we should have defined ourselves before the gov't smacked it down from above. All local stakeholders (mayor, school board, etc) should have taken a role in describing where we want to go. Data needs to help inform our progress and decision making. Accountability and data are positive if they are used to inform our decisions about where to go and how to get there. Accountability and Innovation can be very complimentary if the accountability is used to direct the innovations.
Participant comments -
Breakout Two - Developing Teaching Style in One to One Environments
Led by Beth Rajan Sockman of East Stroudsburg University
Read: Oversold and Underused - a pessimistic view of technology and tech integration
Also read books by Sandholtz (Teaching with Technology: Creating Student Centered Classrooms)
Research says that students have greater achievement in student-centered classrooms than in teacher-centered ones
The Journey of Teaching Style Development:
External forces influence a teacher's perception of classroom needs - societal changes influence what happens in the classroom.
Fear is not the best motivator - teachers should be making changes because they believe in them, not because they are afraid of the consequences if they don't
Small trials reinforce beliefs about teaching and learning.
Taking small steps leads to bigger steps.
Student observations and structural constraints modify the instruction
Teachers become more aware of what is happening in the classroom and look for alternate data about what students are achieving.
Move towards project-based approaches
Doesn’t happen overnight. Training sessions, small steps, find others who can work with you in planning and implementing projects.
Overcome hurdles for project implementation
New way of thinking about education/curriculum/instruction/classroom organization, etc.
Tests and standards – projects need to address these, not overlook them.
Teachers need support to move forward and become “Tech Courageous”
If you want to move teachers past Appropriation, you need to create a different kind of culture in the school. They need an environment that allows them to make mistakes.
TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION
Innovators (2% of pop)
Early Adopters (13.5% of pop) look to innovators for advice
Early Majority (34% of pop) look to early adopters
Late Majority (34%) need a push from administrators "you have to do this"
Afternoon Keynote – Beyond Computers: Creating Systemic Change for 21st Century Learning
Led by: Paul Curtis of the New Technology Foundation
21st Century Skills – we need to make changes at the school level to save our own economy. Adaptability and change will be required of our students in the new global marketplace, and we need to be preparing them with these skills.
Top 5 New-Hire Skills that employers are looking for:
Communication Skills
Honesty/Integrity
Teamwork
Interpersonal Skills
Work Ethic
Partnership for 21st Century Skills – groups the skills into 3 categories
Learning and Innovation: creativity, problem solving, communication and collaboration
Information Technology: information literacy, media literacy
Life and Career: flexibility, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, social skills, leadership
20th Century instruction and assessment does not teach or measure these 21st Century skills
Business owners are increasingly telling educators that industrial-age schools are not preparing students for the post-industrial-age workplace.
New Technology High School model:
Based on Trust, Respect, Responsibility
No hall passes or tardy bells
Culture of respect and responsibility
Organized into small learning communities
Allows teachers to collaborate more and know all of the students in their "wing" (no passes because everyone knows where everyone else is supposed to be)
The NEW 3 Rs - Relationships, Relevance, Rigor
All courses are based around projects (project-based learning, or PBL)
Public component
Teacher becomes coach/facilitator/guide
Breakout Three - Technology is Ubiquitous: What does curriculum look like in a 1:1 classroom?
Led by: Marcie Hull and Zach Chase, teachers at the Science Leadership Academy in Phila
http://sla1to1.pbwiki.org/
SLA Core Values:
Inquiry
Research
Collaboration
Presentation
Reflection
Each assignment should tie into, and refer back to, these values.
If the technology tools are ubiquitous (everywhere), the teacher's role as guide and facilitator becomes very important in creating the direction and ensuring students are heading there.
Reading recommendations: Positive Words, Powerful Results by Hal Urban and Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers by Chap Clark
Idea: Students blog every other week as they complete a 9-week project. They reflect on their progress with the project, what they have learned so far, how the project is going. Many students received comments back from people around the world, which informed their work and motivated them to complete the project and share their findings.
The project - Social Action, or "Change the World in 9 Weeks" (see description on website)
Key idea for change: OFFER CHOICES in the classroom. Choice of content, choice of presentation tool, choice of assessment, etc.
Check out a great teacher's blog: http://randyrodgers.edublogs.org
How do you get to this? Start small - one little change starts the process. Offer students one choice in one assignment, then grow and branch out from there.
Breakout Four: What Does a 1:1 Classroom Look Like?
Led by Brent Frey of Apple, Inc.
Video stories of 1 to 1 classrooms around the country.
Cranberry Island in Maine. Year-round population = 75. One room school house. Teacher has 5-8th graders. Uses the technology to differentiate the content and process. Uses Noteshare. Students love that you can integrate everyone's work into one finished product, seamlessly. Students post podcasts, share and communicate with their classmates.
Boston urban public school. Major impact on student engagement, motivation, self-direction, sense of ownership, etc. Students do not take their laptops home, but the city has programs to ensure there is a computer in every student's home (through donations, reduced rate equipment, etc) and the entire city has Internet access.
Kutztown Area High School. Went "true" one to one in Fall 2004. Created a level playing field, gives students the opportunity to explore, create, investigate, and present learning in the ways that best suit and interest them. More engaging curriculum and content. Teachers have many training days are assigned technology mentors. Also have a lot of built-in collaboration time. Initial 2-day Apple-delivered training for teachers. Students create electronic portfolios as part of Senior Project, then use them when applying to college.
Greene County High School. Agricultural community. Computers and broadband Internet access have given students an opportunity to be competitive with their more-connected urban and suburban peers. Helped to bring their school - and community - from the agricultural age straight into the information age (skipped right over the industrial age!).
Breakout Five - Seven Deadly Assumptions
Led by Heather Ryder, CFF Coach at Midd West School District (Middleburg, PA, 1 hour north of Harrisburg)
1. A one to one classroom produces a more engaging environment.
- requires teacher training
- problem of off-task engagement
- old activities using new technology are NOT more engaging once the shine wears off the new equipment
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO CHANGE THEIR METHODS OF TEACHING TO HOLD STUDENTS INTERESTS, NOT JUST TEACH THE OLD WAY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY2. Technology will increase student scores
- technology doesn’t improve scores, content mastery does
- technology is one tool to raise scores, but not the end-all, be-all
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR ASSESSMENT METHODS3. Computers take learning to a higher level
- some teachers allow less work (like copying and pasting) rather than more
- more fluff – animations, sound effects, etc
- do all teachers understand what a “higher level” means?
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO DIRECT THE LEARNING TO A HIGHER LEVEL – ASK HIGHER ORDER QUESTIONS, GUIDE THOUGHTS (DON’T GIVE ANSWERS)4. Discipline problems decrease with computers in the classroom.
depends on your classroom management
sometimes “not disruptive” means off-task
it can be a lot to juggle if you’re a new teacher still learning classroom management
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO CREATE NEW – OR ADAPT OLD – CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES (check-in procedures, conferencing, etc)
5. Technology skills enhance a teacher’s ability to teach,
- those who believe this either have no technology skills or believe they have ALL the skills
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR TEACHING PRACTICES AND ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK6. Blogs and Wikis are the answer.
- not enjoyable for students once the shine wears off
- need to be used “well”
- start with the end in mind – what do you want the students to learn and what is the best way to demonstrate that learning
- allow for responses and a broader audience – so can be a great tool
- 21st century education is a whole different skill set for teachers than the traditional way of teaching – may not work for some teachers
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE AND THE DESIRED OUTCOME OF EVERY LESSON BEFORE DETERMINING WHAT TECHNOLOGY TO USE.7. One to one classrooms will change education.
COUNTERPOINT: TEACHERS NEED TO DEVELOP HONESTY IN THEIR SELF-PERCEPTION AND SELF-EVALUATION IN ORDER TO CHANGE EDUCATION.
Technology – is it THE answer? NO!! It’s a tool to get there.
What assumptions have you made about technology? Are they correct?
Wednesday, April 30th
Breakout One - Social networking:
Led by: Marcie Hull and Zach Chase, teachers at the Science Leadership Academy in Phila
Concerns from audience re: social networking in schools:
not all students have access at home, how do you manage what is posted, school filters, child internet protection laws, parental concerns, lack of understanding about how to apply it in the classroom
Language Arts project: Students read Their Eyes Were Watching God. Interviewed someone who they felt had made a sacrifice, then wrote a 2-page "traditional" paper about the sacrifice, and made a podcast that compared the sacrifice in the story to the sacrifice of the person they had interviewed.
Another project: News story re: the deputy mayor who proposed a resolution to ban sagging pants in Dallas. Students wanted to know more about the story than they found in the "strange news" section of the paper. Used SKYPE to call the deputy mayor of the town and the class discussed his resolution with him. Recorded it and used the recording for further class discussion.
Polleverywhere.com - embed the poll on a wiki and then students can text (or use internet) their votes and it shows up on the graph in real time. Similar to an Activote clicker. Has settings for voting once or more than once. Teacher can see each person's individual vote.
Chat - Moodle, IM, etc. An open "back channel" chat going on while the teacher is presenting. Can archive the chat so that students can go back to it and teacher can see who contributed what.
RIGOR - if you use these tools to get students to think critically, the rigor is built-in. No need to justify the use if it promotes higher order thinking!
Breakout Two - Incorporating Technology in the Language Arts Classroom
Led by: Alison Kocis, Kutztown Area School District
Allows students to self-select books in order to increase motivation to read and really engage with the literature
Students who select the same book work together to make meaning out of the content
How can we bridge their out-of-school computer literacy with their in-school academic literacy?
Planned project in pairs. Worked with librarian to identify school interests and select novels that met those interest areas. Selected a wide range of literature and the librarian gave book talks to present each selection. Partners agreed on a book to read together. Viewed examples of Book Trailers online - books made into movies (Narnia, etc), then student-made trailers (available on Amazon), then professional book trailers (Vid Lit). Students were then introduced to the project specs: students must produce, direct, and act in a book trailer for the novel they read.
Read the book
Identify key scenes, themes, characters, tone, etc. to highlight in the trailer
Write script and storyboard scenes
Freeplay music for soundtrack
Film scenes
BBC Motion Gallery and Stock Footage for scene clips (subway scene, etc)
Edit footage together into trailer
Add titles, credits, transitions, effects
Follow up survey on Quia - did you read the whole book? do you usually read the whole book of assigned readings? did you re-read parts as you worked on the trailer? did you gain a better understanding of the book through working on the trailer? open-ended: did you prefer this activity to the traditional book report/book talk? why or why not?
Good way to involve film teacher, musical director, etc in the class - bring them in as guest speakers once students move from the planning to the filming/editing phase.
Time length - felt it was time consuming, but well worth the time. Only half the standard presentation time because they worked in pairs (half as many projects to present).
Considering doing it with just one scene of a required book - visualize the setting, characters, tone, mood, etc.
Student engagement, enjoyment, motivation, making deeper meaning of content, critical analysis of content -- all showed marked increase with this project.
Science Collaboration Day - Warwick School District
Tuesday, March 4, 2008Registration table - sign in and get name tag
Drop stuff in auditorium then head to library for refreshments and informal icebreaker
Return to auditorium for intro speeches (someone, then Jeff R.)
Jim Gates' Keynote presentation
"What are YOU doing to change your teaching?"
Breakout sessions - led by teachers and coaches (more teachers than coaches)
Breakout One - Quia
Led by: Steve McTaggert, CFF Coach @ Solanco SD
@ Solanco - in the dept budget, 5 teacher licenses (so few because of limited access to computers - less of an issue now with CFF equipment. expect to have more teachers using it next year).
Create tests, make interactive games.
Super easy interface - don't have to be a "techie" to be able to use it
Students don't study - this is more like games than work, so the students enjoy it and use it often - even at home!!
Self-scoring quizzes - teacher scores open-ended.
Very customizable! Randomize multiple choice answers, randomize questions, all questions at once or only one at a time, several question types, type and timing of student feedback.
With an account, you can "take" and customize any shared activities that are already created
Coach Tech Demonstration - Blogs
Led by: Jim gates, CFF coach and tech guru
Notes & links available @ gatesworkshop.wikispaces.com/blogs
Resistance to blogs - fear of students will say if you allow them to write on the web
www.classblogmeister.com - nothing is live (postings and comments) until the teacher approves it
Can embed podcasts, slideshares, videos, etc.
Possible uses - each day, assign a student to be class scribe for the day. They take notes on the day's lesson/activities right on the blog. Really "good" students might multi task by opening new browser tabs to look up graphics or links to embed in their notes.
Breakout Two - Open Collaboration Time
"Feel free to visit the library for collaboration time with other teachers"
Coach Tech Demonstration - Google Docs & Apps
Led by: Laurie Vitale, CFF Coach
Word docs, spreadsheets, etc that are available on the web so anyone with internet access can get to them.
Solves problems re: access and backing up (storage)
Also allows for collaboration - Collaboration Day agenda was created as a Google Doc with 52 contributors
Allows for 10 active collaborators at a time
Spreadsheets - allows for 50 active collaborators
Can export to Word or as a PDF, in addition to saving online
Have option to remove all collaborators (if you're the doc creator) so that no one else can make changes
Need an email account to be a collaborator
Google Forms - what we used to register for collaboration day
Google automatically dumps that info into a spreadsheet
Google Presentations - one drawback: trapped on the Internet. Can only export as text or PDF, not as PPT
Works similar to PPT, with a bit less fanciness
Breakout Three - Interactive Boards and Biology
Led by: Aly Tapp and Michelle Krill, CFF Coaches
Explore! - you need to get to the point where you are planning lessons with the new technology capabilities in mind
Why use an electronic board?
Mark it up, take snapshots of it, save it, send it. Plus: zoom, shield, spotlight, etc.
Consider adding keywords to any search for activities like, “mitosis + interactive” or + “whiteboard” or + “polyvision” or even + “smartboard”